Driving bans for breaking motorway rules

Motorists are being warned that they’ll face heavy fines and even bans for flouting laws on motorways.

Highways England is reminding drivers of the hefty punishments for ignoring motorway lane closures. The warning comes after a van driver was penalised for driving on the hard shoulder around a coned closure southbound between Junctions 2 and 1 of the M42 last month despite the motorway being closed due to a serious collision.

The motorist was hit with three penalty points, a fine of over £1,000 and a six-month driving ban for ignoring the lane closure on the West Midlands motorway.

"Any decision to close the motorway is not taken lightly, but when this happens, drivers must obey the closure.

"It’s there for the safety of everyone on the road – people in difficulty, recovery and emergency services helping them, and all other road users besides."

Motorists should keep in mind the laws around motorway lane closures, especially as dynamic 'smart motorways' which close and open lanes (including the hard shoulder) without the use of cones are becoming more common.

Smart motorways are sections of motorway that use various traffic management measures to ease congestion and increase capacity, and currently operate on a number of motorways across the UK.

Commenting on the proliferation of these highways, RAC road safety officer Pete Williams said: “With more than 230 miles of smart motorway in operation, it is imperative that motorists become familiar with how these stretches of road operate.”